Business

Congratulations, new graduates! What’s next?

Thursday, 03 June 2010 13:22
Julie Desmond

Graduation: years of sweat, frustration, excitement, exploration and insight crossing the stage in a cap and gown. Every graduate has reason to be proud. You have set a goal for yourself and reached it. You have overcome obstacles of all kinds, and finished what you started. Congratulations! Now what?

Are you working yet? High school and college graduates are coming into the working world just as the economy improves. Companies who laid off workers last year are ready to rebuild, but not ready to commit big budgets to new employees. This makes new graduates a handsome bunch to hire. Frankly, you cost less than someone with more experience. You might even work for free. And you should, if you can gain learning and experience in return for an internship with a good manager.

Career Shift: Transitioning from Military to Civilian Employment

Friday, 28 May 2010 22:37
Julie Desmond

Stiff competition, high level scrutiny and employer bias can be obstacles on any career path. For Minnesota’s Veterans transitioning back to the civilian employment world, career planning must seem next to impossible. For example, if your most recent job title was Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator or simply 96U, do you put this on a resume? And will anyone’s hapless HR assistant have a clue about what you can do? If you approach your job search the right way, you will be able to communicate effectively, translating what you know into skills organizations are looking for.

The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) and the Minnesota Cyber Crime Task Force (MCCTF) are issuing a warning to all small businesses that process credit cards. Foreign hackers are targeting smaller U.S. businesses with outdated or no online security software, stealing customer credit card information and then turning around and selling it on the Internet.

Businesses that are targeted by these cyber intrusions could be liable for any losses involving stolen credit card data, which could potentially bankrupt smaller businesses. All small businesses that process, store or transmit credit card information are urged to update their security software and become PCI compliant immediately.

Fashion or distraction? Dress your best at work this summer

Friday, 21 May 2010 13:51
Julie Desmond

The recent string of perfect summer days has many people trying on flipflops and short shorts. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable? When dressing for work success this summer, remember that the most common and most often overlooked fashion rules apply whether you work indoors or out, in a professional office or a casual art studio: cover your backside… and your shoulders and your toes.

At work, always cover your back. When planning office outfits, ladies, that means no elephant ears where your waistline falls below your thong; wear a long-enough shirt and tuck it in or pull it down in back. And men, you’ve heard it before, pants on the ground is a good song, but a bad look for anyone hoping to keep a job through the summer.

Foreclosures have hit record highs in Minnesota, leaving thousands of families homeless and neighborhoods in chaos. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) wants residents to stay in their homes. Since 1993, its free Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program has helped over 5,000 families, providing information, referrals to other agencies, and counseling to homeowners struggling to make payments.

$2 billion toward ending hunger in America

Friday, 14 May 2010 13:41

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation last week announced a $2 billion cash and in-kind commitment stepping up their efforts to help end hunger in America, said Margaret McKenna, president, The Walmart Foundation.

According to a November 2009 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, hunger rates in the U.S. are the highest since 1995 with nearly 15 percent of households lacking access to an adequate supply of nutritious food.

President Obama has referred to hunger as a problem “we can solve together.”

Finding the best and the brightest

Thursday, 13 May 2010 13:12

Skill building at the Ramsey County WorkForce Centers

The real cost of hiring a person who cannot learn and perform a job is prohibitive, both for the employer and the worker. The National Career Readiness Certificate solves that problem. It is awork-related skills credential issued by ACT, the nationally-known testing service based in Iowa. The Certificate provides fair and objective measurement of workplace skills.

“A skills mismatch is eating away at productivity and revenue across all businesses, industries and government agencies,” says John O’ Phelan, Business Services Representative for WorkForce Solutions of Ramsey County, “To not fall further behind, we must address skills deficiency with urgency.”

Ramsey County WorkForce Centers are taking the lead by offering a nationally recognized assessment and development system for job seekers and businesses.